Steel freight-car.



No. 731,672. PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903. Y

E. s. EBBRLEIN.

STEEL FREIGHT GAR. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 9, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

'No.731,672. PATENTEDJUNE 23,1903.

E. s. EBERLBIN.

STEEL FREIGHT GAR. APPLICATION rmm OUT. 9, 1902. no menu. a sums-sum 2-.

J AR N/an oeaeu m: NOHRKS versus co, mormnna. WASHINGTON. n. c.

No.' r3i,672. PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903.

E. s. BBERLEIN'. STEEL FREIGHT GAR.

' 4 Arrmoumn rum). OCT. 9, 19oz. M09171 s sums-sham B.

No. 731,672.. I Patented June 23,1903. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWINSEBERLEIN, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO CHARLES HOOVER, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA STEEL FREIGHT-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,672, dated June 23, 1903.

Application filed October 9,1902. Serial No. 126,633. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern: thawed out and the car unloaded in an hour. Be it known that I, EDWIN S. EBERLEIN, a The advantage is self evident. The cars citizen of the United States of America, resid- -might beconnected with the boiler of the locoing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny motive and steam maintained in the steam- I 5. and State of Pennsylvania,'have invented cerjackets throughout the entire journey of the 55 tain new and usefullmprovements in Steel train at a sufficient pressure to prevent the Freight-Cars, of whichthe following isaspecicontents of the cars from freezing. This exfication. pedient is of especial advantage in connection My invention relates to an improvement in with fruit-trains and the like. The interior IO freight-cars, and more especially to those of the steam-jacket is not more than three 60 known as metallic freight-cars. inches in breadth, and its walls are braced It isawell-known fact that during the transand connected with the walls of the car by .portation of fruit, vegetables, and various angle-irons, which are so arranged as to allow kinds of ore, &c., through cold climates the the steam to circulate around the jacket. j above-mentioned products freeze, and there- I have laid especial stress on the use of 65 j by become unmarketable, and in the case of steam; as it is the most desirable fluid for the ores the expense of thawing out the same is purpose. Hot water would not accomplish considerable and the result is not always satthe purpose andwould be very objectionable, isfactory. Ore is shippedfrorn the mines to for the reason that it would add vast weight mills in freight-cars, generally of the open 'to the car and would have to be introduced 7::

box-car or gondola type,which-leaves the coninto the j acket from the top and would either tents exposed to the action of the atmosphere, have to be exhausted from the bottom or aland consequently the ore being moist freezes. lowed to settle therein, where it would cool The ore freezes so hard in the car that it canand freeze. Means for conveying the hot 2 5 not be broken up with apick. This makes the water to and from the car would also have 75 use ofdynamite or other high explosive, necesto be provided, which would tend to complisary, which expedient is quite expensive and oatc the apparatus and add to the expense. dangerous, as after the ore has been shot the Steambeing very light and having a tendency car is often found to be considerably dam to rise can be introduced at one end of the aged, and sometimes when an extra large train, through which it would flow,thoroughly 8o charge is required much damage is done to heating all parts of the cars, and be exhaustsurrounding property and often the loss of ed at the other end. Another advantage posi life is occasionec. sessed by steam lies in the fact that no heat- Now with a car constructed on the lines of ing apparatus is required in or on the cars.

my invention, which consists in entirely cov- Finally, my invention consists in providing 8 5 ering the walls and bottom of the car with a a metallic car of the character described that steam-jacket, the above-mentioned difficulty will be strong, durable, and efficient in its is obviated. With a car of the type just depurposes and one that will be comparatively scribed the ore may be placed in. the car. at easy to produce and inexpensive to construct.

40 the mines and the car may travel any .dis- Furthermore, the invention consists in the tance through the coldest climate, freezing novel details of construction and-operation, solid frointopto bottom, and when it reaches a preferable embodiment of which is deits destination may be thawed out in a few scribed in the specification and illustrated in minutesby simply attaching a hose-pipe from the drawings, wherein- .45 a boiler to the steam-jacket, thereby filling Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion the latter with steam and accomplishing in a of a metallic gondola car constructed in acfew minutes that which now takes hours. It cordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side now requires from twelve totwenty-fourhours elevation view of the adjoining ends of two to unload a car in cold weather. With my imcars, showing a way of connecting the steam- 50 provement applied to the car the ore will be jackets. Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view of a box-car. Fig. 4 is a side elevation view of a portion of a hopper-bottom car with my 'invention applied, and Fig. is a top plan applied to a hopper-bottom'car.

view of the car shown in Fig. 4.

In the drawings, 1 designates the metallic car, which may be of any suitable type and shape. I have shown my invention applied to a gondola car, a box-car, and a hopperbottom car; but, as I have said before, I may apply it to any style of car. In constructing the car I provide an inner casing 2 and an outer casing 3, which are connected and secured together by angle-irons 4 and in the case of an open-top car by a flanged strip 5, that is riveted to the casings. The angle-irons 4 are shown as U-shaped and as Z-shaped; but they may be of any suitable shape so that they can be riveted to the casings, in order to brace and secure the same together. The joints formed around the casings must be steam-tight, and some kind of a packing is inserted between the joints, although it might be dispensed with. The angle-irons 4 are riveted to the walls of the car or inner casing 2 and to the Walls of the jacket or outer casing 3 at intervals, so as to allow an unobstructed circulation of'the steam in the jacket. able hose-pipe 6, provided with a coupling 7, is secured to each of the cars in order that the steam may pass from one car to the other, and so on. Steam may be introduced at the end of the car through a cock 8, secured to the bottom of the jacket. This cock 8 may also be used for exhausting the Water of condensation from the jacket. I preferably provide one of these cocks 8 at each end of the car, although more might be used, if desired.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a box-car constructed in accordance with my invention in which the steam-jacket completelysurrounds the car.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown my invention In the center of the car a steam-dome 9 is provided, which is connected with the body of the car by A suitclosed channels 10, through which the steam passes.

WVhen it is desired to thaw out the contents of the cars after they have reached their destination, it is only necessary to connect the cars with the steam-boilers of the mills and fill the jackets with steam. The cocks 8 may be opened from time to time to let off the water of condensation. When it is desired to keep the cars heated during their journey, they are coupled together, as shown in Fig. 2, and placed in communication with the boiler of the locomotive and steam maintained in the jackets at a sufficient pressure to prevent the contents of the car from freezing.

From the above it will be seen that I have invented a novel means which will accomplish an advantageous function and one that has not been heretofore conceived by any one.

I do not care to limit myself to the exact details of construction and operation herein set forth, as I may make various changes in the same within the scope of my claim and without departing from the spirit of my i11- vention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination with a metallic car, of a steam jacket, angle irons secured in the jacket, a steam-dome arranged in the central part of the car, closed channels for connecting the steam-dome with the jacket, and means for applying and circulating steam in the jacket and the dome; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 29th day of September, 1902.

ED \VIN S. EBERLEIN.

Witnesses:

J OHN NOLAND, M. B. ScHLEY. 

